Truck



E. WHALLEY.

TRUCK. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7, I915- Patented Aug. 8,1916.=

2 SHEETS-SHEET'-2.

, INVENTOR. M MW,

VATTORNEY.

ENOGH WHALLEY, or WILLIMANSETT,MASSACHUSETTS;

TRUCK.

f Application filed October 7'1 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ENoc-ii WVHALLEY, a

citizen of the United States of America, re-

usiding at vVillimansett, in the county of ilHampden and State of Massachusetts, have ainvented a'neiv and usefulTruck, of which i the following is a sPBCIfiCfliJIOII. i es My inventionrelates to improvements in iitrucks, and more especially to trucks of the so-called elevating type,;or those wherein horizontal movement is converted into a -avertical movement, for use in factories,warehouses, stores,and-other places to haul goods Zorinaterialsgfrom one point toanother by hand, and said invention resides in a certa'in peculiar construction of the two truck sections and the separatingmechanism, m'ovable supports, or raising and lowering elewrender the invention inafter set forth. 1 The primary objectof my lILVQIltlOIL is to i merits thereof, I -tongue-controlled such auxiliary and subsidiary parts and and in certain peculiar means, together with members as may be necessary or desirable to practicable, all as hereproduce a comparatively simple and inexpensive, but strong and durable,-easily operated, and highly eliicient elevating truck,

for use in. raising goods or material fromthe support therefor, or with such support, from the floor, hauling said goods or'mazzterial to'the desired place, and there lowering and depositing the same. In this truck the amount, of friction is reduced to the minimum, hence comparatively little efiort 1s -required onqthe part of the operator in order. to'raise a; very heavy load. y i 3;A further ob ect is to provide such a truck with means whereby the operation and manipulation of the 'tru'ckfiand load,

through the medium of the handle or tongue, are facilitated in a marked degree, and 'g this without complicated mechanism. .The

and tongue operated tongue controlling means employed in this truck are, in fact, very simple and consist of few parts, the sainejbeingtrue of the truck as a whole,

Still another object is to afford means for i utilising thetongue for unlocking and rel'ezisingthe load, although the simple latch lock, which I prefer-to employ, and which is'automatic in action SO'faIf as securing'th'e load in elevated position is concerned, can Y actuating means, a d h' w i h thetlll kj;

' is moved aboutand'said platform-actuating means operated to,'elcvatc said platform, the i {arrangement of parts i being such that, said be unfastened without the aid ofsaid tongue.

@Thetruck, while-itself light in weight, is

capable 'of handling a load ofgreat weight;

Specification of Letters Patent.

7,1915. Serial No. 54,665.

, PatentedAugz-S, 191

and saiditruck, although having an adequate range of; elevation, is sufficiently low, when,

the upper; section is depressed, to be oper 1 i i '60 material that is-si pported veryclose to the floor,-wh1ch s obviously an essential feature atcd in connection with-a stack of goods or in most cases.

e Other objects and advantages will appear in-the course of the following description.

I attain the objects and, secure *theadvan tages of my invention bythe means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

Which Figure 1 is atop plan of a truck which embodies a practical form of myinvention,

the upper section being depressed and a portion of the handle or"tongue brokenout;; I,

Fig. 2, a sectional detail taken on lines 2 2,

looking in the direction of the associated arrow, in Fig. 1, showing the locl ing "mcrnher in engaging position, as when saidupper section is elevated; Fig. 3, a-fron't eleva tion of said truck, with said upper section elevated andillustrating the operation of the mechanical unlocking or releasing mock anism,the major portion of saidtongue be ing'broken off in this and the next'view;

F igg/l, a side elevation of said truck, with the parts displaced asin the first view,and,

Fig; 5,; a. longitudinal vertical section, on

lines 5 5,, looking in the direction of the associatedari;ow,Fig. 1, said upper section j being here in elevated position and a portion ofsaid tongue broken out. 7 Similar numerals refer to throughout the several views. i

This truck comprises an under section,

body, or carriage mounted on rolls or;

wheels, a superimposed or upper section or platform arranged to move longitudinally v. D 90 s milar parts or horizontally and vertically .frelative to f said carriage, inclined bearing members on said sections and interposed free revolubler members constituting the movable supports for said upper section or platform and the A direct ineaLnsWhereby said platform is raised 7 and lowered, actuating means for drawing a said platform forward on said carriage or forcing the latter backward under the former, as the case may be, to elevate said platform, a tongue which isjad-apted to 'be' interlocked with and disengaged from said tongue, when disengaged from said actuattures in the shape, size, construction, and

arrangement of some or all of the parts of thetruck as thus n'esented may be made without violating he spirit of said invention. v

The body or carriage consists of two side pieces 1 connected at their front ends by a cross piece 3 and avlittle distance from their rear ends by a cross piece The side pieces 1 are provided at their front endsijon top with lugs or stops 6-(land at their rear ends on top with lugs or stops 7-7, and have. intermediate parallel ribs 8--8, the latter inclining downwardly from front to back, and in the present case being located on the outer faces of said side pieces. An upward incline is given the forward terminal portions of the side pieces 1 and a pair of inclined top surfaces or bearings fl is obtained, and a downward incline is given the upper edges of the rear terminal pert-ious of said side pieces to form a second pairvof inclined top surfaces or bearings 10. The anglcsof all of the bearings S) and 10 are pf the same degree. An inclined rack 11 is located on each side piece 1 adjacent to eaclrof the bearings 9 and 10 of said side a piece, the two racks having the same angle piece below said hearings.

in degree as said hearings, and in, this instance being made up of a seriesof. pins which pins project inwardly from said side A substantial lug 12 projects forwardly from the center of the cross piece 3, and two trunnions 13 extend from the ends of the cross piece 4: and through the side pieces 1 to receive a pair of rear wheels 14. The stops 7 are at the lower rear ends ofthe h airings l0 and innnediately adjacent to therorrcspoinling ends of the back racks 11, and there are sl oHldersQat the lower rear ends of tin-hearings U, which form steps 15 thatarc innuedlately adjacent to the corresponding ends the front racks ll. 1 v The wheels H support the rear end of the carriage. and the front end of said carriage is supported by a swivel 16 and a wheel 17. the lug lidd'USllllg directly on said swivel and the latter having a vertical pivot pin 1 thatfpasses upwardly into and through p lug, Thepivot pin 18 islheld in place 1 1 t lie lug 12 by lllBhUSQf a horizontal lock 15; '19 which extends through and projects 13301 said pivot pin above said lu The wheel 17 is mounted between lugs 20 which form parts of the swivel 16 and on an axle 21 that is journaled in or supported by said the pin 23, saidnotch opening through the.

edge of said. lifter at the outer end of said center. A tongue 26 is also mounted M31135 inner end to sw ng on the pin 23 and has provision for longitudinal movement thereon as well, such provision being made by laterally slotting said inner end, as indicated at 27. The tongue 26 has a lifter-engaging part in the form of :1 lug or tooth 29. The inner terminal portion of the tongue 26 is longitudinally and vertically slotted at 29 to receive the lifter 9i inpart, and the tongue 28 is at the closed end of the slot in position to enter the notch :25, when said tongue is.

llltllllplllillltttl to effect such entrance.

In order to engage the tongue 26 with the lifter Q-l, it is usual to draw the former forward or. the pin :23 as far as the slots 27 will a permit, or into the position which the tongue occupies while being used to haul the truck about, swing said tongue upwardly and rearwardly until the tooth 28 is in line with the notch 25, and lower said tongue with said tooth in said notch. The lifter 24 can now be rocked on the pin 23 with and by means of the tongue 26. The tongue is disengaged from the lifter simply by actuating the former longitudinally to withdraw the tooth 28 from the notch :25, and then said tongue an be employed like an ordinary truck tongue, except for the movement occasioned by the presence of the slots 27, as w? i the tongue with its tooth clear of the h-aer is used to back the truck after it has been used to haul the same forward, and vice versa. The tongue is provided at its free end with a cross-bar or handle 30.

The platform consists of two side pieces 31 connected at their rear ends by a cross piece 232 and a little distance from their front ends by a cross piece The cross piece 32 is flush at the top with the tops of the side pieces 31 and. extends beyond the. latter, ;while the cross piece 33 is depressed. Lugs 3&3 are let into and securcdtc the side pieces 31, with their upper surfaces flush withthe top= surfaces of said side pieces, to increase theflbearing surface for the. load, which surface comprises the upper surfaces of said side pieces, lugs, and the cross piece 32. The lugs 34; extend outwardly and may bein line .With the cross piece 33. 3 Lugs are .provided atthefront ends on top. of the side upieces 31.to form stops 35 for the load, and

a @such' lugsextend downward and forward'to 5 formstops 36 for the platform. The stops 6 it i? r are inthe paths of travel of the stops {36 and contact with the latter when the unloaded ,platform .is actuated forward on the caririage, or said stops 6' contact with said stops gfifiswhen said carriage is forced back under 1the platform while in the act of raising the ;.load according to circumstances. The aforesaidlug's also afi'ord at their rear undersides stops 37 which cooperate with the stops 15 in ,understood, .of'cou'rse, that the side pieces 31 areaarranged directly over the side pieces 1. A: short distance from therear ends of the said pieces 31 on the bottoms of the same are shoulders which form stops38,-andthese 00- :oper'atewith the stops? in the manner pres- ;ently'to bedescribed. An upward incline is given the under edges at the front terminal [portions of-the side pieces 31. to form a pair I the stops 37 being at the, forward and upper i'endsof such bearings, and a downward in gcline is given the undenedges of the rear ter- 80 5? =2 bearings the stops 38 being at the fori ininalportions of said side pieces to form aseco'nd pair of inclined bottom surfaces or are adjacent to the frontends of the forward and the stops 38 are'adjacentto racks 41 the. front ends of the :rear racks 41-. t- Between eaclr pair of under and over pare allel bearings, 9 and 39 and lQand 40, is one end ofone of a pair. of transverse shafts=42,x

I andsecur'ed .to each of such shaftsbetween Wtowdearthe bearings 9 and 10, and the bearingsfifizand 40 to clear the stops l5 andZ, as saidplatform or the carriage is moved, the

Tao

each'pairfof under andover parallel racks the shafts 42 are of such diameter "that the platform is supported at an elevation which enablesthe stops 3,6 and 37 and the stop 38 one relative to the other. The shafts 4 2 afford or serve as roller bearings for the two truck sections, and "such" bearings or shafts are held inplace, steadied, and'controlled by their pinions43 and the racks 11* and 41.

More or less than the number of and 1 .Assumi'iig' that b e' drawn forthe manner presently to be described. It is vogliinclined bottom surfaces or bearings39,

1 1 and 4land intermeshing'therewith is a pinion 43. The bearing ends or'terminals of rocking the tongue 23 Ward on the carriage, it is clear that the roller bearings afforded by the shafts 42 roll on the carriage bearings9 and 10 and the platform bearings 39 and 40 ride on said roller bearings, and that the pinions 43 travel on thecarriage racks 11 while. the platform racks 41 travel on and are the actuating or power-transmitting mediums forv said pin- ..ions, all movements being forward and upward: -Assumingthat the platformbe moved. or permitted to'move backward on the carriage, it is equally clear that the same members are brought into play, only this time in a reverse direction, to the end that said platform is lowered, when inthe first caseit was elevated. When the platform is retracted to lower it, the bearing parts of the shafts 42 encounter at the end of their travel the stops 15 and 7 and at the same'time the stops 37 and 38 encounter said bearing parts,

thus positively checking and securely holding said platform.

An arm 44 projects forward from, the center of the cross piece 33, and a flexible connection, as a chain45, extends between the front end of said arm and the free end of the lifter 24. The chain45 should belong enoughto permit Whatever lost motion or I play may be needed. It is the actof rocking the lifter24 on the pin 23 forward-and downward, from the position which it occu-f pies in Figs. 1 and4, that causes the plat form to 'be drawn forward, or the carriage to be forced backward, andsaid platform consequently to be raised,said lifter operat ing through the chain 45 and the arm 44;

- A springlatch 46-having a head 47 011*," tends forward from. the cross ,piece33 with' said head in position to snap over and engage the front edge at the topof the cross piece3, when'theplatfo'rm is in its forward and elevated in such position. The latch head 47 engages the cross piece 3 at the time the :stops 36 en counter the stop 6, or vice versa. Thelatch head-47 may be forced upward out of engagement with the crossgpiece ,3 either by means of the foot of theioperator, or through tlie' medium of a dog 48 ,on thetongue 26. The dog 48 projects from the tongue 26 beyond the upper or inner edge thereof, and is so located thereon as to enable the protrud ing' terminal of said dog' to be introduced beneath the outer protruding end of the latch head 47, when said tongue is held in an apposition, and as shown in Fig. i 2, for the purpose-'of holding said platform proximately-upright position and the swivel is swung quarter way aroimd on the latch side of the longitudinal center of the truck,

as shown in Fig. 3. With the dog 48 under the head 47 the latter is forced upwardlyby piece 3, in Fig. 3, as

outwardly. The

47, has just been raised clear of tliemrogss at the instant ofgeacnt of the platform. The tongue is usually,

cared to said lugs.

terlocked with the lifter 24 when usedto release the latch 46, although this is not necessary. The chain -15 is of such length that the release of the latch can safely be effected by means of the tongue while interlocked with the lifter.

Vertical arms 49- 4!) are secured to the exterior sides of the? side pieces 31;, extend down outside of the ribs 8, and halve inward y directed inclined extensions --5U whici. enter and slide beneath said ribs. The purpose of the arms l5." with their extensions 50 is to prevent the platform from being lifted away from the carriage or tilted. laterally thereon, and generally to steady said platform. The extensions 50 are always beneath the ribs 8 regardless of the relative positionsof the upper and under truck sections.

Lugs 51 may be provided on the inside of the side pieces 1 for the cross piece 4, on both the insid and outs'nle of the side pieces 31 for the cross piece 32, and on the inside of said side pieces i-ll for the cross piece 233, said cross pieces being mounted on and seof goods or material to be handled with my truck is supported from the iloor at a sullieient height to enable said truck to he backed under the same while the platform depressed, and ordinarily portable benches are provided to support Such goods or material, such benches being raised, transported, and set down again with the goods or material on them during the entire time. a i

Briefly the operation of the truck as a whole is described as follows, starting with the parts disposed as in Figs. 1 and 4. The truck is hauled by the tongue 26 to the vicinity of the load to be moved and backed beneath the same. Then the tongue is swung up and caused to interlock with the lifter 24, and forced forward. and downward to also the load, which includes the bench when present, from the floor, on or with the plat form, thri'iugl the medium of said lifter, the chain 45, and the arm 44;. the roller bearings The pile or stack or shafts -l-r2,whieh intervene between the c: 'riage and platform. rendering this opera tion easy of accomplislnnent. As soon as the plntfmni is raised to the full extent it is tit-cured by the latch 46 in the manner previously exphoned-see, Figs. 2 and Next the trnrl; with its load is hauled by means of the tongue to the dcsired locality, being steered ,withimt dilliculty or being hampered in any way by the lifting mechanism, be cause Still tmiguefmoves out of locking engagement with the lifter 24 as soon as the tongue is pulled forward for hauling pur poses. linihfinally, the load is deposited by thri'iwing up the latch 46 in either of the ways hcrcinhefore described and thus permitting the platform to descend until the bench rests again on the floor, or the load in the absence of the bench rests upon other supporting means, when the truck is drawn from beneath the load and out of the way. In the event it be desired to control the descent of the platform with the load, the tongue may be rei ngaged, by means of the tooth 2H, with the lifter 2- before the latch 44) is disengaged, and then slowly swung upwardly and rearwardly until the bearing terminals of the shafts 42 are against the stops 1:) and 7 andthc stops 37 and 38 against said shaft terminals.

'hen the mechanism is operated to elevate the load and the platform comes into contact with the under surface of the load, thereis usually so much frictional resistance that said platform is held stationary while the carriage moves backward on the I wheels 14 and 17, but the desired result of elevating the platform and carfiying the load up with it is attained just the same as though the carriage were heldstationary and the platform moved forwardly as well as upwardly. l l

The lifter 24 when locked to the tongue 26 serves in the capacity of an equalizer since with said lifter the raising operation, and

the lowering operation when controlled by l the tongue, are easily and quickly performed under conditions which require the putting forth of an approximately uniform amount of force on the part of the operator, from start to finish, or in other words, the load in being elevated is started slowly and with the minimum expenditure of forccQand then as said load'continues to rise the same force is in part absorbed as it were in the increased speed with which said load moves, so that such minimum expenditure is continuous, and, inversely, the same thing is true or the same action or kind of action takes place when the load is lowered under the control of the tongue, all of, which gives full and complete. control into the hands of the operator. This truck need beno higher, when the platform is in low position, than the wheels, and the latter may be of small diameter. 1 i i i The, ease and facility with which the truck, whether loaded or unloaded, can be steered are especially m'ominent and valuable features of my invention. In backing the truck when loaded, it is not necessary to manipulate the tongue so as to introduce the tooth 28 into the notch 25, although generally said tooth will slip into the same.

VVhatI claim as my invention, and desire i to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a truck, relatively movable upper and under sections provided with inclined bearings and racks, and revoluble members between said bearings, said members being provided with pinio s to intermesh with said racks.

2 In atruck,relatively-movable upper and under sections provided with inclined bearings, revoluble members'b'etween said bearings, an angular lifter comprising rigid arms one of which is pivotally mounted at its free end; a flexible connection between said upper section and thefreeend of the other of said lifter arms, and means normally independent of said lifter but adapted to operate the same.

In a truck, relatively movable upper and under sections provided with inclined bearings, revoluble members between said bearings, an angular lifter comprising rigid armsone of which is pivotally mountedat lts free end; a flexible conn'ectlon between said upper section" and the free end of they able on the same pivotzwith said lifter and meanswhereby said tongueimay be inter- IQQ-kedHWithand released fronifsaid lifter-.

The eombination, in a truck, of a car riage, aswivel' at the front end o'f said .car-

' riage, vsaid swivel vbeing provided with a 1; pin, an angular lifter mounted at one end on said pin, a slotted tonguealso mounted on said pln with the' latter in the slots,

said tongue and lifter having engaging and disengaging means, a platform mounted on sa id carriage, said earriagefandplatform being mutually reeiprolcableamlarrangedfor the elevation an'd lepression of thef'plat} form, and conneetionsv between saidgplat? form and said lifter. a

6. The combination, in a truck, of'a car:

riage, aswive'l at'the front end of said caririage, said swivelbeing provided 'With a pivot pin, an angular recessed lifter mounted at one end on saidpin, a tonguerecessed to receive said lifter'and provided-with a fixed tooth which is adapted to enter the rccess in said lifter, said tongue also being mounted on said pin andslotted to receive tliosame, a platform mounted on said cartually reciprocable and arranged'for' the elevatipn and depression of thelplatform, and

\ ridge, said carriage and-platform being muconnecting means between said platform and said lifter.

7. The combination, in a truck, with a carriage, a"swiv el at the front end of said carriage; and aton'gue pivotally attached, to

saidswivel'and provided with a dog o'f; a. g risingand falling platform mounted on said carriage,means to actuate said platform into its raised position, andra latch to lock said platform when inraised position directly to said carriage, the arrangement of parts be-v ing such that said latch maybe operated by a said dog to release said platform, when said swivel is turned to'locate said tongue in p0 sition. for, that pur ose'.

8. The CQmbiIiatl0n,'iD a truck, of role tively movable, longitudinally, supper and I under sections; the, upper section also haw ing a rising and falling movement, an angular lifter comprising rigid arms one of which is pivotally mounted at its free end at the forward end of said under section connecting means between-the-ireeend o 1 the other arm of said lifter and Sitld upper section, a tonguemounted to swing and to move lODgitUdlIiaIIy'OH the same pivot with said lifter, and means to detachably engage said tongue with said lifter atapointintermediate of the ends thereofl. p

S). The combination, in a. truck, of relatively movable, longitudinally, upper and under sections,- the upper'secti'on also havinga rising and falling movement, an angular lifter comprising Ilgld' arms one of necting means between said upper section and the free end of the other arm-0f said lifter, a tongue mounted to-swmg and 'to move longitudinally on the same pivot with said lifterfand means'to-detachably engage said tongue withsaid lifter ata'ipoint inter i i mediate of the ends thereof said tongue being movable on said pivot to engage and dis engage said tongue and lifter.

. ENOCH WHALLEY.

Witnessesz I 1*. A; CUTT R,

A; C. FAIRBANKS.

vwhichis pivotally mountedat its free end at the forward end of said under section; con- 

